Our team is hard at work preparing for an exciting year ahead! Stewardship reminds us that caring for our school means thoughtfully investing our time, talents, and resources to create the very best environment for our children.

This summer, you'll find us refreshing classrooms, enhancing our outdoor learning spaces, planning engaging curriculum, strengthening safety procedures, welcoming new faculty, and preparing joyful experiences for the first day of school. We're also spending time learning together as a leadership team, refining our programs, and ensuring every decision reflects our mission and our commitment to providing an exceptional early childhood education to all of our students.

Every project, big or small, is rooted in the same goal: creating a place where every member of our community feels inspired to let their Inner Light Shine by learning, growing and thriving together.

We can't wait to welcome your family back to campus soon. Until then, we hope your summer is filled with rest, adventure, and special moments together!

Getting to know your Head of School

I hope your family has found time this summer to rest and make special memories together. My husband Sean I and were fortunate to spend a week at Bayside Resort near Fenwick Island, Delaware with our daughters Gracie and Bridget and my mom, Patti. It was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one another's company, explore the beaches and bay and return feeling refreshed and grateful for the time we shared.

Spices Spotlight- Seeds We Don't Yet See

This summer, I reconnected with a former colleague and found myself reflecting on a memory from nearly twenty years ago.

Early in my career, I taught as a bilingual teacher in Philadelphia. I had the great benefit of being supported weekly by volunteers from Historic Fair Hill, a Quaker organization dedicated to strengthening neighborhoods through education, service, and community. Week after week during my first year of teaching, these volunteers showed up because they believed every child deserved to be known, encouraged, and cared for. They were so helpful, kind and genuine. Their impacted wasn't just felt by our students- I too, felt known, encouraged and cared for by them.

I didn't realize until recently the seeds that were being sewn in me as a brand new teacher. Now, I'm wondering if those early experiences with the volunteers from Historic Fair Hill quietly shaped my understanding of what education could be. Perhaps these experiences planted seeds long before I had the language to describe them. I wonder, could this have played a part to my journey to Friends School Haverford?

As parents, we often hope our children will remember the big moments—the performances, the celebrations, the first days of school. But maybe the moments that shape them most are the quieter ones: a teacher who truly listens, a friend who includes someone new, time spent caring for our campus, or the simple habit of resolving conflict with kindness and respect.

These are the moments that reflect our Quaker values or SPICES—Simplicity, Peace, Integrity, Community, Equality, and Stewardship. These SPICES are not reserved for a single classroom lesson or during Meeting for Worship. They are values that shape our identities as members of the Friends School Haverford community. And they're something I am deeply proud to embrace.

In my Friday Focus message to our faculty this week, I included a "SPICES Spotlight" from outside of our FSH Community, The Story of Historic Fair Hill, and highlighted how various acts of service can have an impact far beyond what we ever imagine.

As we prepare to welcome another school year, I hope you'll join me in a query:

What quiet moments or everyday acts of kindness might your child carry with them for years to come, even if neither of you recognizes their significance today?

My hope is that, together, we are planting seeds that will continue to grow long after your children leave Friends School Haverford.

Check Out Historic Fair Hill, and the important work they do to support schools and the community in the Fair Hill neighborhood of Philadelphia.

We've made some updates to our website so that all families have the most up to date information! All of this will also be reflected in our new Family Handbook, which you'll receive at Student and Family Orientation on Friday, August 28th!

Haverford School Expansion Plans

I wanted to take an opportunity to inform families of the Haverford School's early plans for expansion to improve and modernize its facilities while simultaneously improving conditions related to congestion and parking on residential streets. This plan also includes permanently closing the 500 block of Panmure Rd. in order to re-orient playing fields.

I intend to partner with school leadership, Haverford Meeting Clerks, as well as elected officials from our township in order to ensure our school is prioritized in these plans.

So far, I have met with Haverford School's Head of School, Tyler Casertano, prior to the community meeting hosted June 18th to remain informed and discuss these plans directly with him.

This week I will meet with the co-clerks from the Haverford Meeting, Terry & Greg, and Tyler Casertano for additional discussion.

I will continue to provide updates to families as they become availalble and also share any opportunities for families to engage with the township or with Haverford School as they become available.

Thank you to the parents who have already reached out to me about this matter. My door is always open to any family wishing to connect about this!



Enrollment Update- Referrals just got BETTER!

We continue to offer a referral bonus for families whose referral leads to a new student enrolling but now we are "sweetening the deal". If a KINDERGARTEN family you refer enrolls- we will give you TWO discovery days FREE of charge! (That's a $180 value, folks!)

We (STILL) Want to hear from YOU!

At Friends School Haverford, we believe in listening deeply to our community. Your feedback helps us strengthen our programming, communication, and partnerships with families. Responses are confidential, and we are committed to sharing what we learn and how we will respond.

CLICK HERE TO PROVIDE YOUR FEEDBACK!

Looking Ahead...

Our Next Parent Letter will hit your inbox the week of July 27th! This Special Issue will be full of information! We'll preview class lists, room numbers, teacher assignments and letters from your child's teacher with requests for materials. We'll also feature information about our upcoming sandbox days, and student and family orientation in August!

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